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Old 10-13-2018, 07:39 PM   #1
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How to tow this trailer

Hello everyone,

Here is my situation. We are living off grid up on a mountain ridge in our travel trailer. Its all dirt roads to get up here and pretty steep. We had the trailer delivered by someone at camping world and now we're living in it in a little spot we carved out in the woods. The ground is very un-level so the trailer is being supported by some scissor jacks right now.

The trailer was bought for us by my girlfriends parents. When we got it we intended to live in it long term in this spot where we were doing a help exchange for the people that own the property. That didnt work out so we started paying rent and now we want to move back down south to the Bay Area.

Like I said the trailer was delivered and we werent the ones that went to camping world to buy it so we didnt get much information about it except for what my girlfriends dad relayed to us. We imagined we would be here for a long time so we didnt even think about how we'd move the thing. But now of course we want to move it and I have no idea what I'm doing

I do have a truck that I got around the same time as the trailer but for some reason I wasnt even thinking that i'd ever be towing the trailer with it. The truck is a 1999 f150. The owners manual says it has a gcwr of 12,700lbs and it says it can tow a trailer of 7,700lbs. Our trailer is 7,705lbs. Im not sure how much our truck weighs maybe 4,000? 4,500? Someone at Good Sam said our truck should do the job. Also theres some heavy stuff we have to take like two honda eu2200i generators and six husky scissor jacks. We dont even know where we're going yet but if we did go somewhere should I put that heavy stuff in the truck bed? Right now some of its in the trailer storage.

The other reason we wont be going anywhere is because I dont have a weight distribution hitch which I just learned what it was this morning. So we need that. Problem is the guy at Good Sam said to get the thing fitted onto my truck I have to bring the truck and the trailer to a Uhaul or whatever and the closest city to us is 2 hours away on a windy mountain road. So how am I gonna get it there? They said I could rent a truck but I have no idea how to drive this thing. And even if I did rent a truck how would I know the hitch would fit on our trailer? Like i said right now its on totally unlevel ground.

So what if I hired someone to haul the trailer down to the city where they could fit the hitch on my truck. Wouldnt that be really expensive? Which made me thing I should try to install the hitch myself. But id still have to be able to tow it somewhere nearby thats somewhat level. Would I do that with just the tow ball and chains?

So pretty much I have no idea what I'm doing so i've come to this forum to seek the wisdom and wizardry of all you fine trailerfaring veterans because I'm sure I'm missing something completely obvious. Any advice would help. Thanks.

Max
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Old 10-13-2018, 07:48 PM   #2
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Someday you’ll look back on this and laugh...well maybe not, but at least you have the umpteen thousand life lessons in this situation that you can learn from.

Here’s my question: why are we involved instead of your girlfriend’s dad who bought the thing and is presumably knowledgeable about trailers?
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Old 10-13-2018, 07:54 PM   #3
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Sounds like too much trailer for your truck. That 7705 is likely your uploaded weight. I bet you're easily over 8500lbs with your gear.

I wouldn't let your first test be one where you're overloaded and un-tested. Sounds like a recipe for diaster.

Try calling a towing company around you. I bet they'd do it.
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:00 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by 007matman View Post
Sounds like too much trailer for your truck. That 7705 is likely your uploaded weight. I bet you're easily over 8500lbs with your gear.

I wouldn't let your first test be one where you're overloaded and un-tested. Sounds like a recipe for diaster.

Try calling a towing company around you. I bet they'd do it.
By gear do you mean the generators and jacks? And I guess we have a table we want to bring too. Would it be better if I just put that stuff in my truck bed. What does uploaded mean?
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:01 PM   #5
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Someday you’ll look back on this and laugh...well maybe not, but at least you have the umpteen thousand life lessons in this situation that you can learn from.

Here’s my question: why are we involved instead of your girlfriend’s dad who bought the thing and is presumably knowledgeable about trailers?
My girlfriends dad actually has no knowledge about trailers besides what he learned from the guy that sold this one to him and now he really wants his daughter to be "independent" so basically yeah.
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:07 PM   #6
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Red face

Quote:
Originally Posted by 007matman View Post
Sounds like too much trailer for your truck. That 7705 is likely your uploaded weight. I bet you're easily over 8500lbs with your gear.

I wouldn't let your first test be one where you're overloaded and un-tested. Sounds like a recipe for diaster.

Try calling a towing company around you. I bet they'd do it.
X2

In over your head, and don’t have the tools needed for the job - hire professionals
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:10 PM   #7
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X2

In over your head, and don’t have the tools needed for the job - hire professionals
Thanks for the advice. Guess ill have to go get a job. Im sure it varies a lot but any idea how much it would cost to get someone to haul this thing down the hill?
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:10 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by trailernoob View Post

I do have a truck that I got around the same time as the trailer but for some reason I wasnt even thinking that i'd ever be towing the trailer with it. The truck is a 1999 f150. The owners manual says it has a gcwr of 12,700lbs and it says it can tow a trailer of 7,700lbs. Our trailer is 7,705lbs. Im not sure how much our truck weighs maybe 4,000? 4,500? Someone at Good Sam said our truck should do the job.
Lots of questions but first:
The owners manual has max numbers that are only for specifically equipped F150s, not necessarily for yours.
NEVER believe anyone at Good Sam, regarding your truck's capabilities.

1.your truck- cab size, engine size, bed size, factory tow package or not, GAWR for rear axle, truck's GVWR, rear end ratio? All these features determine towing capacity.
2.where did you get the trailer weight number? Post year/make/model of trailer.
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:11 PM   #9
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Lots of questions but first:
The owners manual has max numbers that are only for specifically equipped F150s, not necessarily for yours.
NEVER believe anyone at Good Sam, regarding your truck's capabilities.

1.your truck- cab size, engine size, bed size, factory tow package or not, GAWR for rear axle, truck's GVWR, rear end ratio? All these features determine towing capacity.
2.where did you get the trailer weight number? Post year/make/model of trailer.
2019 wildwood x-lite 282qbxl
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:13 PM   #10
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2019 wildwood x-lite 282qbxl
Ill have to get back to you after i figure out what a truck is
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:19 PM   #11
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2019 wildwood x-lite 282qbxl
Loaded for camping, the tongue weight will easily be around 1000lbs and the trailer over 7500lbs.
IMHO, too much for your truck.
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:24 PM   #12
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Loaded for camping, the tongue weight will easily be around 1000lbs and the trailer over 7500lbs.
IMHO, too much for your truck.
How would the trailer only be 7500lbs when on the side of the trailer outside it says the gvwr is 7705lbs?Click image for larger version

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Old 10-13-2018, 08:26 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by bikendan View Post
Lots of questions but first:
The owners manual has max numbers that are only for specifically equipped F150s, not necessarily for yours.
NEVER believe anyone at Good Sam, regarding your truck's capabilities.

1.your truck- cab size, engine size, bed size, factory tow package or not, GAWR for rear axle, truck's GVWR, rear end ratio? All these features determine towing capacity.
2.where did you get the trailer weight number? Post year/make/model of trailer.
The engine size is v8 5.4l
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:38 PM   #14
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Is this topic written as a joke? If not, this person should definitely hire a professional to move this trailer. It would be safer for everyone.
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Old 10-13-2018, 08:43 PM   #15
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Max...

can you give us a fairly precise location where this trailer is at and where you are trying to get to...

Any way you look at it you are pretty close to max on towing... but much depends on how far you are going. If you are trying to get 50 miles, well that is one thing... 500 miles is another thing.

Is the truck 4 wheel drive for getting into and out of the camp area?

Also, do you have a 7 pin round electrical connection for the trailer on the truck now?

Are you fairly mechanically minded?

Can't you make more than one trip to tow your unloaded trailer down the mountain, then unhook and go back and load up the heavy stuff?

The least expensive WDH that I know of is the Harbor Freight version of a Reese hitch. With their 20% off coupon you could be out the door for about $200.
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:11 PM   #16
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Short answer: Find somebody with a properly equipped 3/4 ton truck to move the trailer.

Long answer: A few F-150 of that year may have the necessary tow rating to pull a 7500 lbs trailer, if it has the right gearing and tow package (better cooling). You also need a trailer brake controller and a weight distributing hitch. But the trailer is still significantly longer and heavier (if moving everything in one run most likely overloaded) than the tow vehicle which is always a sketchy thing. Somebody with a lot of experience might be able to work with this, but in the case of the OP I recommend against it.
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:26 PM   #17
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Is this topic written as a joke? If not, this person should definitely hire a professional to move this trailer. It would be safer for everyone.
No. Sadly this is not a joke this is my life
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:32 PM   #18
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Zowie.

First, find out where you are going to move to. Then use the phone and call several towing/transportation companies for prices. Then get a job or borrow the $$$ from her Dad. If you try and move it yourself, it sounds like it may end up being much more expensive than hiring it out, mainly because of inexperience and lack of equipment. Good luck!
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:33 PM   #19
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Max
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How would the trailer only be 7500lbs when on the side of the trailer outside it says the gvwr
I looked up specs on this trailer and found this...

The DRY weight is only 4135# plus a cargo weight of 3326#...

so if you do not load your trailer with rocks... (heavy stuff) YOUR trailer probably ONLY weighs 5000# or so... NOT the 7700#, which is the MAX LOADED with water tanks filled and cargo.

SO your truck is a lot closer to pulling this then you think. the reason you need a WDHitch is because of the 499# (and more likely 650-700#) hitch weight.
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Old 10-13-2018, 09:36 PM   #20
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Max...

can you give us a fairly precise location where this trailer is at and where you are trying to get to...

Any way you look at it you are pretty close to max on towing... but much depends on how far you are going. If you are trying to get 50 miles, well that is one thing... 500 miles is another thing.

Is the truck 4 wheel drive for getting into and out of the camp area?

Also, do you have a 7 pin round electrical connection for the trailer on the truck now?

Are you fairly mechanically minded?

Can't you make more than one trip to tow your unloaded trailer down the mountain, then unhook and go back and load up the heavy stuff?

The least expensive WDH that I know of is the Harbor Freight version of a Reese hitch. With their 20% off coupon you could be out the door for about $200.
I dont want to give my exact location but basically i'm up in some mountains on private dirt roads. At the very least I would need to go to the nearest city which is 65 miles away but takes about 2 hours because most of it is one stretch of narrow and windy road.

Truck is 4wd

Dont have the connection but planning on getting it installed.

Id consider myself to be mechanically minded I have a person interest in these things im trying to learn here. Which is really why I wanted to see if I could do as much as possible by myself. Also because its cheaper that way.

I could definitely make more than one trip. This is a very obvious thing that I for some reason didnt consider thank you for pointing that out.

So is the hitch more a matter of needing to know how to install it to the right height? If I just buy that one I could take it somewhere with the trailer and theyd install it?

Thanks again
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